Friday night I was looking for a good place to eat dinner and came across a fairly new pizzeria called Ancora. Located on Freret St., this Italian eatery got high reviews in a Gambit restaurant guide, so I decided to give it a try. I drove to the place, was led to a table by a cheerful waitress, and received my drink and a menu. I was satisfied so far.
I decided to begin my meal like any other respectable Italian does, with antipasti. This means "before pasta" in Italian, and is a real classic. Oops! Did I say antipasti? I meant antipizza, because that's what they call it here! I was stunned when the waitress presented me with the platter. There were the most delicious things in there, all in little sections, and it was so beautifully presented that I was left speechless. There were tons of delectable little bites on the plate. There were marinated olives; homemade spicy pickles; a cute little meatball dappled with a fresh, vivid marinara sauce; a fried mozzarella and rice ball; paper-thin slices of cured Italian meats; a curious, sweet, jammy, fruit-like substance with millet seeds; light and creamy ricotta bruschettas with tapenade; and last but certainly not least, roasted shrimp with breadcrumbs. Talk about heaven on earth!
Next was the pizza course. I chose the "pizza margharita," which is a combo I really love. Mozzarella, basil, and tomato sauce. Sounds plain but at Ancora it was divine. The pizzas at Ancora are cooked in an 850 degree pizza oven, which means they take only about 90 seconds to cook. My grumbling stomach soon found love as I dove into the fantastic pizza. The crust (handle) was wonderfully puffy, chewy, and slightly but pleasantly burnt, and the topped portion was amazingly thin and flavorful. The sauce was as good as it was in the antipizza, and the melting blobs of mozzarella and fresh basil topped the whole thing off.
The service was great, too, and I was really happy when I left. The atmosphere was a tad loud, but that might have just been the screeching toddler at the neighboring table.
My verdict? Ancora is simply a divine place to dine, and I hope you'll be as happy as I was. I give this spot at least five stars, and, I'm happy to say, so does Madame La Bouffe!
